Letters from Backstage: The Adventures of a Touring Stage Actor

"Letters from Backstage" has been one of the most pleasurable reading experiences I've had in awhile. Michael Kostroff begins with his audition for the first national tour of "The Producers" and then takes us through rehearsals and on the road with him. After a year with that show, he joins the national tour of "Les Miserables".So often I've been in the audience of shows like these and wondered what it was like to be part of one...what was going on back there that we didn't see...what life was like, performing in city after city. Now I know! "Letters from Backstage" told me all about it.Michael Kostroff captured my attention and sympathy in the prologue, with his pep talk to himself before the audition. Just that quickly, I was rooting for him, and I was thrilled with him when he made Mel Brooks laugh. And it just got better with each page.The writing is genuine and skillful and confident and humorous; the tales are fascinating. I just wish it had been twice as long!

I love the theater (especially musicals) and I really wanted to love this book - but I just couldn't. I never got a sense from the author of what it was like to be on tour in a popular Broadway show. The author tried hard to be "just one of the guys", but he is always an ACTOR, and to me came across as thinking he is better than the poor suckers who buy the tickets and sit in the audience and watch the show. Sometimes Mr. Kostroff seems almost contemptuous of the audience - after all, we are not ACTORS (but he is and don't you forget it.) And sometimes he tried just too hard to be funny. Jokes about Lincoln's assassination are in poor taste and not humorous. And by the way Michael - when I go to the theater, it is something I have planned for and look forward to which has also cost a lot of money. I would really appreciate it if you and your fellow cast members would concentrate on giving your best performance, rather than trying to crack each other up while on stage. The fact that Martin Short tried to crack-up other cast members during every performance was irritating, not endearing. Kostoff did take several paragraphs to explain just how much he loves the audience, but to me it still rang false. But he is an ACTOR, and I a mere money spending spectator, so what could I possibly know? But this is my opinion.

This book is funny, funny, funny-- and has tremendous heart to boot.Kostroff relates scores of hilarious behind-the-scenes experiences (e.g., having a dresser who actually impedes the dressing process); pet peeves ( e.g., people who desecrate the English language); and vulnerable moments ( e.g., the some time loneliness of life on the road).What's more, Kostroff is such a fine, observant writer and humorist, that he is able to convey his thoughts with an emotional precision that compels the reader to nod in recognition.Kostroff's ascerbic wit and self-deprecating humor are matched by his generosity in letting us into his world--this world he spent so much of his life working to enter.This book is for everyone who wants to laugh, be moved or just reminded that working toward a dream can really pay off-- and sometimes in ways different from what one expects.

I have had the pleasure of seeing Michael Kostroff in several plays performed at the professional theater near us. We last saw him as Max in The Producers. We have always enjoyed his hilarious characters! This book is a delightful memoir which highlights what it is like to be an actor on the road. Very entertaining!

This book is great for theater buffs, theater students, professional and amateur theater folk.. Kostroff is insightful and witty. He brings a passion for theater to his personal accounts of touring in two musicals. He tells all - the good, the bad, and the insane. if you want to know what a life in the theater is REALLY like, this is a good place to start finding out.

I remember seeing Mr. Kostroff perform many years ago in NYC with an improv group. I had the feeling he was destined for greater things and sure enough - he has written this hilarious and moving book - has appeared in feature films, prime time TV shows and theater. I remember also that he played the piano and sang.. Is there anything this man cannot do? :) Congrats to Michael Kostroff on an amazing book. Put this book in your shopping cart asap - and enjoy!

What fun read!

Be prepared to spend a lot of time with Mr. Kostroff's ego and backstage experiences. Well, this is an actor's documentation of his backstage life. At times the material gets thin - and redundant. Yet, Michael's documentation of his touring with Broadway shows will give you a real look at how unglamorous and challenging the world of the "theatre" can be. Anyone considering a career as an "actor" will find this journal to be a true reality check. So, it serves its purpose.

As a former touring stage actor myself this book really resonated but even for the layman it's highly enjoyable. Written in a folksy, humorous vein it strikes all the right notes and I recommend it to all whom are interested in the theatre